Crisis? What crisis?

 

German existentialist philosopher Martin Heidegger, earlier today.

'They called it a what?'

There are so many things about mainstream media journalists that irritate, I sometimes don't know where to start. Oh, just a tick. Yes, I do.

Have you noticed the tendency of MSM hacks to fasten onto a phrase like a lamprey on some poor crustacean? The last really annoying example was 'the elephant in the room'. This of course refers to the hypothetical situation in which several people are present in a room, and so is an elephant. No one mentions the presence of the beast because they are not sure if the others can see it, and they have no wish to be seen as mentally deranged.

Actually, that is quite funny when it comes to journalists. Mentally deranged people are extremely interesting and great company. Not so the average journo.

But this phrase was ubiquitous, still is. But now there is a new kid in town. Everything bad is now 'an existential danger' or 'an existential crisis'. Oh, lawks and lordy. Where does one begin?

One thing you have to understand about the political Left is that although they are not very bright, not the sharpest chisels in the toolbox, they do like to appear as though they are. They are like Mickey Mouse in Disney's brilliant version of Goethe's The Sorcerer's Apprentice, all tricked out in their master's robes and wizard's hat. They don't know much about philosophy but they like the livery, they like to play dressing-up.

Listen, you muffins. Existentialism is a very specific school of 20th-century philosophy (although Kierkegaard coined the phrase in the 19th century) and is essentially opposed to essentialism. It's not a fortune-cookie motto you can use when you like.

Nietzsche, Heidegger, Sartre, even Albert Camus, were all great existentialists. They would spin in their respective graves to hear this term used and abused.

Note to stupid people - using the language of intelligent people does not make you similar to them.